KR20170128237A - Restraint device and method with alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

In embodiments, an apparatus, method, and storage medium (temporary and non-temporary) associated with providing an alert to a guardian within the vehicle are described. In various embodiments, the apparatus includes a first sensor coupled with a restraint mechanism to provide a restraint indicator, a second sensor coupled with the securing component to provide an attachment indicator, And an alarm module activated by the one or more processors to cause the wireless transmitter to transmit an alert signal. In various embodiments, the warning device may include a warning from an output device and a car seat in the vehicle, activated by the one or more processors to activate the output device based, at least in part, on a wireless alarm signal indicating that the car seat is in use Modules.

Description

Restraint device and method with alarm

Related application

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 660,631, filed March 17, 2015, entitled " RESTRAINT APPARATUS AND METHOD WITH ALERT ".

Technical field

This disclosure relates to the field of restraint devices, and more particularly to providing alerts based at least in part on whether the constraints on the device are fixed and whether the device is associated with a vehicle.

The background description provided herein is intended to illustrate the general context of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application, and are not considered to be prior art as included in this section.

Careful negligence of the caregiver may leave the infant or child in the vehicle and potentially expose them to an elevated or reduced temperature in addition to any emotional trauma that may result from being left alone, I can do it. Conventional devices can be based on the distance from the weight sensor and the car ignition key to the baby seat. These solutions can be problematic in that they require a change in the car key or a difficult calibration of the weight sensing mechanism.

The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. The embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
1 is a block diagram of a device with a guardian alarm system, in accordance with various embodiments.
2 is a block diagram of a warning device for a vehicle, in accordance with various embodiments.
3 is a block diagram of a vehicle control system, in accordance with various embodiments.
4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process that may be implemented on the various computing devices described herein, in accordance with various embodiments.
5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process that may be implemented on the various computing devices described herein, in accordance with various embodiments.
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary computing environment suitable for carrying out various aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.
7 illustrates an exemplary storage medium having instructions configured to enable an apparatus to practice various aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the figures, and in which: Fig. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made within the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The various acts may be described in turn as a plurality of separate acts or acts in a manner that is most useful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as implying that such operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order presented. The described operations may be performed in a different order than the described embodiments. Various additional operations may be performed, and / or the described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

For purposes of this disclosure, the phrase "A and / or B" means (A), (B), or (A and B). For purposes of this disclosure, the phrase "A, B and / or C" means a combination of (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C) (A, B, and C).

The present description may use the terms "in an embodiment" or "in embodiments ", each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Moreover, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "having," and the like, as used in connection with the embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

The terms "logic" and "module ", as used herein, are intended to encompass a wide variety of different types of applications, including application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , Dedicated, or grouped), combinational logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. The term "module" may refer to software, firmware, and / or circuitry configured to perform one or more operations consistent with the present disclosure or to cause its performance. The software may be implemented as a software package, code, instructions, a set of instructions, and / or data stored in non-volatile computer-readable storage media. The firmware may be implemented as code (e.g., non-volatile), instructions or instruction sets and / or data that are hard-coded into memory devices. As used in any of the embodiments herein, a "circuit" may include, for example, hardwired circuitry, programmable circuitry such as computer processors including one or more separate instruction processing cores, state machine circuitry, and / Or software and / or firmware that stores instructions executed by a programmable circuit, for example, alone or in any combination. The modules may be embodied as circuits collectively or individually forming part of a computing device. As used herein, the term "processor" may be a processor core.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a device 100 that is integrated with the guardian alert teachings of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, the device 100 includes a plurality of components (not shown) including a processor 102, a system memory 104, an execution environment 106, a constraint sensor 108, an attachment sensor 110, and a transceiver 112 102-138 that may be coupled together and may be coupled at least partially to the restraint 114 in a restrained position and to the fastening component 116 being engaged to engage the device 100 with the vehicle May be configured to cooperate with each other to transmit an alarm signal. In embodiments, the device 100 may be configured as an IoT device capable of communicating and interworking with various other devices and systems configured to function in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment. In various embodiments, the device 100 may include a child car seat or a portable child seat including a restraint mechanism 114 for securely retaining a child or infant to a car seat, and a securing component 116 for safely attaching the car seat to the vehicle. It may be an infant carrier. The restraint mechanism 114 may be, for example, a five point buckling harness. The restraint mechanism 114 may be configured differently in other embodiments. In embodiments, the securing component 116 may be part of a car seat structured to receive one or more straps with fasteners for attaching to the vehicle's seat belt and / or vehicle anchor points or tether points.

The transceiver 112 may include a transmitter 118 and a receiver 120 in various embodiments. The transceiver 112 may be, for example, a low power Bluetooth radio frequency device capable of operating in accordance with at least one of the standards defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. In some embodiments, the device 100 may include only the transmitter 118, rather than having a transceiver that includes both a receiving component and a transmitting component. The battery 122 may be used to power the device 100 and the port 124 may be used to recharge the battery 122 when needed and / or to charge the device 122 when the battery 122 is at a low charge level. As shown in FIG. Port 124 may be a universal serial bus (USB) port that accepts a cord that may be incorporated into a vehicle or connected to a standard USB charging device that may be provided using a standard adapter with a power outlet of the vehicle. In embodiments, the device 100 may also include an input mechanism 126, which in various embodiments may be a passive activation component, such as a push button switch. The input mechanism 126 may also be structured to be operable by the caregiver, not the child or infant seated in the device 100 in the embodiments. The device 100 includes a first LED 128 for indicating when the device 100 is active and a second LED 128 for indicating when the battery 122 has sufficient power to power the device 100 130, < / RTI > The device 100 also includes an audio output component 130 such as a speaker 132 that sounds a periodic beep when it reaches a predetermined level that indicates that the charge level of the battery 122 is too low to power the device 100, . ≪ / RTI >

In embodiments, the constraint sensor 108 may provide a constraint indicator based, at least in part, on whether the constraint mechanism 114 is in a constrained position. For example, if the 5-point harness is properly filled with buckles, the restraint indicator may indicate that the restraint mechanism 114 is in the restrained position. In embodiments, the attachment sensor 110 may provide an attachment indicator based at least in part on whether the fastening component 116 is engaged to couple the device 100 to the vehicle. For example, the attachment indicator may indicate a failure when the seat belt securely secures the device 100 to the vehicle with the securing component 116 or when the device 100 is securely secured to the anchor points and / Component 116 may be engaged to engage device 100 with the vehicle. Attachment sensor 110 may operate in various embodiments by sensing the tension level of one or more straps or the pressure applied by the seat belt on device 100. In embodiments, attachment sensor 110 may be a simple switch activated at a predetermined pressure level. In other embodiments, the attachment sensor 110 may provide an output that varies depending on the pressure or deformation level applied to the fastening component 116. The securing component 116 may include a base component that may be attached to the vehicle as described above using a seat belt or straps attached to the anchor points, and a latch to secure the portable baby carrier to the base component. In embodiments, the attachment sensor 110 can sense a plurality of straps attached to the anchor points, or a plurality of stationary components such as a base component attached to the vehicle and a portable baby carrier securely attached to the base component by a latch have. Fixation mechanisms other than latches may be used in various embodiments.

The execution environment 106 provides a constraint indicator that indicates that the constraining mechanism 114 is in the constrained position and the attachment sensor 110 determines that the constraining component 116 is in the constrained position, And an alarm indicator 134 that is activated by the processor 102 to wirelessly transmit an alert signal to the transmitter 118 when providing an attachment indicia indicating that it is engaged to engage the vehicle. The alert module 134 may be configured such that, in various embodiments, at least one of the constraint indicators may indicate that the restraint mechanism 114 is not in a restrained position, May be activated by the processor 102 to stop the wireless transmission of the alert signal when indicating that it is not engaged to engage. For example, if the buckle of the 5-point harness is released, the restraint indicator may indicate that the restraint mechanism 114 is not in the restrained position, or if the portable child carrier is latched from its base component, 116 are not engaged to couple the device 100 to the vehicle.

The execution environment 106 may also include other modules 136 and / or storage 138 in various embodiments. The execution environment 106 may also include an operating system (OS) that is operated by the processor 102. In embodiments, the OS may be an embedded computing OS and the processor 102 may be an embedded computing processor. In embodiments, the device 100 may be a one-way or two-way communication device with other devices or systems, such as a portable communication device 144 such as a portable alerting device 140, a vehicle control system 142, or a smart phone or a wearable computing device. Wireless communication can be performed in both directions.

In general, in the act of placing a baby or child in the car, the carer secures the baby or child to a car seat, such as device 100, so that the carer typically carries out at least one manual step with the car seat itself , Which involves placing a child already placed and restrained on the car seat in the car with the car seat and then fixing the car seat in the car or alternatively placing the child on a car seat already present and fixed to the car And then fixing the constraining device. In embodiments, the device 100 may be activated automatically when a child is secured to a car seat that is already attached with the vehicle, or when the child is first secured to a car seat that is secured to the car later. In other embodiments, the device 100 may be used by itself or with the constraining sensor 108 and / or the attachment sensor 110 to provide a different . ≪ / RTI > The device 100 may be deactivated when the child is pulled out of a fixed component such as a car seat or a seat belt of a vehicle, or when the anchor straps of the device are released. In embodiments, the first LED 128 may be illuminated to confirm to the guardian that the device 100 is active when the child is restrained by the car seat secured to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the input mechanism 126 may allow the parent to manually activate the device 100 if the automatic activation fails for some reason or if the device 100 wants to manually activate the device even though the device 100 is not attached to the vehicle Button.

In embodiments, the device 100 may sound a periodically loud tone when the battery charge level of the device 100 is low and needs to be recharged or replaced. The device may also broadcast the 'battery recharging required' message using the transceiver 112 via Bluetooth or wireless fidelity as an additional notification means, for example. WiFi communications may operate according to at least one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, for example. The second LED 130 may also indicate that the device 100 needs to be refilled at the time of off. A vehicle based charging and / or powering mechanism using port 124 may be used to allow a guardian to use device 100 even if the device has a low battery charge level.

2, a vehicle alert device 200, such as, for example, a portable alert device 140, is coupled to a processor 202, a memory 204, an execution environment 206, a vibration sensor 208, and a transceiver (not shown) 210, which may be coupled together and cooperate with each other based, at least in part, on the alert signal received at the vehicle alert device 200 in accordance with various embodiments, And may be configured to present a warning to the caregiver. Vibration sensor 208 may include an accelerometer or gyroscope in various embodiments. Device 200 may include audio and / or visual output, such as speaker 212 and LED 214, in various embodiments. The transceiver 210 may include a receiver 216 and a transmitter 218 in various embodiments. The transceiver 210 may be, for example, a low power Bluetooth radio frequency device. In some embodiments, the device 200 may include only the receiver 216 rather than having a transceiver that includes both a receiving component and a transmitting component. The battery 220 may be used to power the device 200 and the input mechanism 222 may provide on / off and / or volume control in various embodiments. The execution environment 206 is configured to receive a wireless alarm signal from a child car seat, such as the device 100 described with respect to FIG. 1, based at least in part on a wireless alarm signal, May include an alert module 224 that is activated by the processor 202 to activate an output device, such as an LED 214 and / or a speaker 212. In embodiments, the alert module 224, which is activated by the processor 202, may activate the output device based at least in part on the wireless alarm signal and the signal from the vibration sensor 208. [ The execution environment 206 may also include other modules 226 and / or storage in various embodiments. The execution environment 206 may also include an OS that is operated by the processor 202. In embodiments, the OS may be an embedded computing OS. The vehicle warning device 200 may be a portable device that may be selectively located in a plurality of vehicles in various embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a vehicle control system 300, such as vehicle control system 142, is shown in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, vehicle control system 300 includes a plurality of components 302-350, including sensors 302 and output devices as well as processor 302, memory 304, execution environment 306, and transceiver 308, Which may be coupled together and may be coupled together to provide a step-wise increase in cooperation with the alert signals received from a car seat, such as the device 100 described with respect to Figure 1, in accordance with various embodiments. Lt; / RTI > The system 300 may include, in various embodiments, an infotainment system 310 having a display 314 and a speaker 312, which may be a touch sensitive display, which may also function as an input device. The system 300 may include sensors for, for example, internal temperature, outside temperature, whether the vehicle is turned off, whether the vehicle is parked, and whether the front driver seat or the front passenger seat is currently occupied Sensors 316. < RTI ID = 0.0 > Other sensors 316 may also be included in various embodiments.

The system 300 includes a climate control system 318, a vehicle horn 320, a dashboard indicator 322, a speaker 324, door locks 326, vehicle interior lights 328, For example, the ability to control various vehicle devices and systems such as vehicle exterior lights 330, such as headlights or tail lights, and / or other output devices 332. System 300 may include one or more input devices 334 and ports 336. The transceiver 308 may include a receiver 338 and a transmitter 340 in various embodiments. In embodiments, transceiver 308 may be, for example, a low power Bluetooth radio frequency device. System 300 may include a wide area transceiver 342 that may be used in embodiments to subscribe to cellular telephone voice and / or data calls. The system 300 may also include other communication devices, such as WiFi transceivers, in embodiments. The execution environment 306 is configured to receive a wireless alarm signal from a wireless receiver 338 that is received from a wireless receiver 338 from a child car seat such as the device 100 described with respect to Figure 1, And an alert module 344 that is activated by the processor 302 to activate the output device and / or the control system. In embodiments, the warning module 344 activated by the processor 302 determines a vehicle condition based at least in part on data from one or more of the vehicle sensors 316 and determines, based at least in part, So that the output device or the control system can be activated with the alarm signal raised. The output device or control system activated by the warning module 344 may be used in various embodiments to control the vehicle horn 320, the infotainment system 310, the indoor temperature control system 318, the internal lights 328, (S) 330, door locks 326, dashboard indicators 322, or other devices. The execution environment 306 may also include an operating system that is operated by the gateway 346, other modules 348, storage, and / or processor 302 in various embodiments.

1 and 2, in various embodiments, the device 100 of FIG. 1 may be configured to operate in one direction, in a basic mode, or in a more advanced mode, depending on the capabilities of the portable receiver device or vehicle control system interacting with the device 100 Mode, or in a combination of unidirectional mode and bidirectional mode. For example, the device 100 may communicate in a unidirectional manner with a simplified version of a warning device 200 for a vehicle that has only a receiver 216 and no transmitter 218. The advanced mode is an electronic control having a gateway function such as that provided by gateway 346 that enables communication with external devices and / or allows control logic, which may be in the form of an application program, Can function together with vehicles having systems. This may be accomplished by loading an application in the form of a warning module 344, for example, wirelessly using the transceiver 308 or transceiver 342, or by using a wired connection over the port 336 to the system 300 . However, the device 100 may still use the basic, unidirectional interaction mode when communicating with vehicles having advanced control systems capable of bi-directional communication in some embodiments. In embodiments, the device 100 may establish an ad-hoc network link with the vehicle control system 300 and store device identifiers associated with the vehicle control system 300, When the device 100 loses its connection with the vehicle control system 300, the device 100 responds to the stored device identifier even if the device 100 is in a congested environment with many other vehicles nearby, And re-establish the network link with the vehicle.

In the basic, unidirectional interaction mode, the device 100 is in a period of time until the device 100 is released (e.g., until the baby is pulled out of the baby seat or the baby seat is pulled out of the vehicle) Stream can be transmitted. The pings may be referred to as heartbeat signals for the device 100 in various embodiments. The pings may be a periodic broadcast stream of digital data that may include a device type, a device identifier, and / or an alert level. The pings may contain different, more or less data in various embodiments. When the device 100 is released, the stream of pings may simply be interrupted, or alternatively, the deactivation signal may be broadcast for a predetermined period of time, such as approximately two seconds in various embodiments.

In general, the pings may be received by a receiving device or listener, such as a warning device 200 for a vehicle or a vehicle control system 300. The receiving devices may be a smart phone or wearable reminder such as, for example, a personal dashboard reminder, an integrated dashboard reminder, a personal communication device 144, a device with a vibration sensor, a device associated with an emergency service provider, Door lock control devices, and the like. In embodiments, the independent dashboard reminder may include a warning for a portable vehicle, such as a device 200, including an LED 214 that may be mounted near the eye height or the dashboard to act as an extension of the dashboard indicator system of the vehicle. Device. In embodiments, this may be a very basic receiver with an LED and a bell used to provide a soft chime that the baby is on board and an non-intrusive reminder of eye height. In this way, the carer will be aware of the state of the baby on board, through the surrounding intrusive soft tones that persist even when the car engine (and radio, etc.) is turned off. This type of receiver may be retrofitted to any vehicle or moved between multiple vehicles in various embodiments. In some embodiments, the warning device may include a vibration sensor, such as vibration sensor 208. In embodiments, the warning device may have been out of time for more than 60 seconds, the vehicle is detected as not vibrated, and a higher level of alert may be generated if the device 100 deactivation signal is not received.

In embodiments, an integrated dashboard reminder, such as dashboard indicator 322, may be used. An alarm signal from the device 100 may be picked up by the transceiver 308 and a corresponding indicator may be displayed using the dashboard indicator 322 and / Can be reproduced. In embodiments, the output may be directed to the infotainment system 310 to display an indicator on the display 314 and / or to provide audio output using the speaker 312.

In embodiments, the device 100 may send a notification to a personal mobile device of a guardian, for example, a personal communication device 144 (e.g., a Bluetooth enabled smartphone or a smart watch). In other embodiments, the notification may be sent by the vehicle control system 300 based, at least in part, on an alert signal from the device 100. In embodiments, the alert module 134 activated by the processor 102 establishes an ad hoc network link with a personal communication device, such as the protector's personal mobile device, and causes the wireless transmitter 118 to send an alert signal to the set ad Or wirelessly transmit to a personal communication device via a network link. Device 100 may send a notification once every " N " minutes, and this reminder stream is displayed with other active notices that are captured by the personal mobile device and can be displayed by the personal mobile device itself . In embodiments, the period 'N' may be set by the guardian, but not at least once every activation and at least once every 30 minutes. The personal mobile device may also have logic that provides enhanced options that may be based, at least in part, on the notification sent by the device 100. [ For example, if the personal mobile device is not in auto-stream-mode, upon any notification in the stream of notifications from the device 100, the personal mobile device may be in auto- And will stay in that mode until the protector resets the mode. In embodiments, while the personal mobile device is in auto-stream-mode, it will periodically make a soft sound or vibrate, such as once per minute. If the protector resets the mode of the personal mobile device, a timer can be set for execution after the 'T' minutes, and 'T' is configurable, but in various embodiments it does not exceed a predetermined maximum value such as 10 minutes ≪ / RTI > During time "T", if another ping from the device 100 is received, the personal mobile device can restart the auto-stream-mode. In embodiments, if the personal mobile device is in auto-stream-mode and a device disengaged ping is received from the device 100 (e.g., if the infant is pulled out of the car or infant seat) The auto-stream-mode is automatically terminated.

In embodiments, the receiver may repeat the alert signal received from the device 100, or transmit another signal that may be received by an auxiliary receiver located at a location such as an office, a mass transit point, , Which can then send the SOS message to an emergency service provider or a security post. The receiver may also be combined with the door lock actuation device in some embodiments to prevent the vehicle door from being locked from the outside while the device 100 continues to transmit an alert signal, (But does not prevent locking), an audible reminder about the baby in the car seat may be generated when the device 100 is transmitting its alert signals.

In embodiments, the device 100 is capable of communicating in a bi-directional manner with receiver devices, such as the vehicle control system 300, where possible. The device 100 may then monitor, along with the vehicle electronic device and control, whether the door is opened / closed or locked / unlocked, whether the key is in the ignition device, the vehicle is running, and so on. Thus, the device 100 can implement a series of soft, loud, loudest alerts / alerts that incrementally increase in or out of the vehicle. The device 100 may also consider whether the vehicle's room temperature control system is active or not, and may, for example, generate a more urgent alert if not. In embodiments, the vehicle may send a signal back to the device 100 that can convey information about the condition of the vehicle, such as whether the ignition device is on, doors are locked, and the like. In embodiments, the signal may comprise a vehicle condition indicator. A series of progressively increasing soft alerts and noisy alerts can be triggered in various manners in various embodiments. For example, if the device 100 is occupied but the vehicle is turned off, as soon as the vehicle is turned off, only a slight warning may be issued within the vehicle. If the device 100 is occupied, the vehicle is off, and the driver's seat is empty, a stronger warning may be issued inside the vehicle. If the device 100 is occupied, the vehicle is turned off, none of the front seats are occupied, and all vehicle doors are closed for at least 20 seconds, for example, a single beep of a horn is repeated every 10 seconds Likewise, a very strong warning can be heard outside the vehicle. If the device 100 is occupied, the vehicle is turned off, none of the front seats are occupied, and the vehicle doors are locked, violent alerts can be issued as soon as the doors are locked.

In embodiments, the device 100 may continue to transmit to the vehicle control system 300 even if the child is still on the device 100, even after the guardian has left the vehicle. The system 300 may periodically ring the car horn and turn on the air conditioning of the vehicle if the temperature is outside a safe level. If the inside of the vehicle is at a high temperature, the system 300 can lower the window enough so that the internal temperature of the vehicle equals the external temperature. If the vehicle has a GPS or other positioning system with built-in GPS and has wide paging or calling capabilities, the system 300 determines whether the device 100 and the system 300 are infested with a baby on board, As long as the doors are closed or other determinants are detected, for example, a pre-programmed emergency, including emergency service providers, by dialing 911 if the vehicle is in the US or other relevant numbers at other locations You can broadcast alarms with location information, such as GPS coordinates, as a set of numbers.

4 illustrates an exemplary process 400 for transmitting an alert signal that may be implemented by device 100 in accordance with various embodiments. In various embodiments, the process 400 may be performed by the alert module 134, the constraining sensor 108, the attachment sensor 110, and / or the transceiver 112. In other embodiments, the process 400 may be performed with more or fewer modules and / or some of the operations in a different order. As shown, in embodiments, process 400 may begin at block 402 where a constraint indicator may be received. This ensures that the restraint mechanism 114 is securely in place by the processor 102 actuating the alert module 134 and, for example, by buckling the 5-point safety harness to securely secure the child or infant to the device 100 By receiving a constraint indicator from the constraint sensor 108 based, at least in part, At operation 404, an attachment indicator may be received. This allows the processor 102 to actuate the alert module 134 and provide an attachment indicator from the attachment sensor 110 based at least in part on whether the fastening component 116 is engaged to securely attach the device 100 to the vehicle, Lt; / RTI > At decision block 406, it can be determined whether the restraint mechanism 114 is fixed and the device 100 is attached to the vehicle. This can be done by the processor 102 activating the alert module 134 based at least in part on, for example, a constraint indicator and an attachment indicator.

When the restraint mechanism 114 is fixed and the device 100 is attached to the vehicle, a vehicle condition indicator may be received at block 408. [ At operation 410, an alert signal may be transmitted based at least in part on the vehicle condition indicator. In embodiments, the alarm signal may indicate varying levels of alarm conditions that are incrementally stepped up based at least in part on a standard alarm condition, or a vehicle condition indicator. If the device 100 participates in unidirectional communication rather than two-way communication with the receiver or listening device, the process 400 may proceed directly from decision block 406 to operation 410 where an alarm signal may be sent, It may not be based in part. The alert signal may be transmitted by activating the alert module 134 to cause the processor 102 to transmit, for example, to the transmitter 118. [ At decision block 412, it can be determined whether the restraining mechanism 114 has been released or the device 100 has been removed from the vehicle. If neither has occurred, the process may return to block 408 if the device 100 participates in two-way communication. If the device is involved in unidirectional communication, the process may return to block 410. The process path for unidirectional communication is not shown in Fig. If at decision block 412 it is determined that the restraint mechanism 114 has been released or that the device 100 has been disconnected from the vehicle, the device 100 may cease transmitting the alert signal at act 414. In embodiments, a deactivation signal may be transmitted at operation 414. Process 400 may then return to block 402 in various embodiments.

At decision block 406, if the restraint mechanism 114 is fixed and it is not determined that the device 100 is attached to the vehicle, the process 400 may proceed to block 416 where a manual activation indicator may be received. The manual activation indicator may be received by the processor 102 operating the alert module 134 based, at least in part, on the activation state of the input mechanism 126, for example. At decision block 418, it may be determined whether the device 100 has been manually activated based at least in part on a manual activation indicator. If it is determined that the device 100 is not manually activated, the process 400 may return to block 402. If it is determined at decision block 418 that the device 100 has been manually activated, then a vehicle status indicator may be received at operation 420. At operation 422, the alert signal may be transmitted based at least in part on the vehicle condition indicator. If the device 100 is involved in unidirectional communication with the receiver or listening device rather than two-way communication, the process 400 may proceed directly from decision block 418 to operation 422 where an alarm signal may be sent, It may not be based in part. At block 424, a manual activation indicator may be received. The manual activation indicator may be based at least in part on the activation state of the input mechanism 126. At decision block 426, it may be determined whether the device 100 has been manually deactivated based at least in part on the manual activation indicator received at block 424. If it is determined that the device 100 has been manually deactivated, the process 400 may proceed to operation 414 where the device 100 may stop transmitting the alert signal and may transmit the deactivation signal in various embodiments. At decision block 426, if it is not determined that the device 100 has been manually deactivated, the process 400 may return to block 420 where a vehicle status indicator is received if the device 100 participates in bidirectional communication. If the device 100 is involved in unidirectional communication, the process 400 may return to block 422 rather than block 420.

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary process 500 for alerting a guardian that a child may be present in the vehicle by the warning device 200 or the vehicle control system 300 in accordance with various embodiments. The process 500 may include, for example, the warning module 224 or 344 described above, the processor 202 or 302, the vibration sensor 208, the sensors 316, and the various output devices 212, 214, 310-314, 318-332). In alternate embodiments, process 500 may be performed by more or fewer modules or components and / or in a different order. At act 502, a sensor signal may be received. This may be, for example, a signal from the vibration sensor 208 received at the processor 202 or a signal from one or more sensors 316 received at the processor 302. At block 504, the vehicle condition is determined based at least in part on the received sensor signal. In embodiments, in the case of a warning device that is not capable of doing so, such as a warning device with a vibration sensor 208 that is similar to the warning device 200 for a vehicle, the vehicle condition may not be determined. At decision block 506, it may be determined whether bi-directional communication is being used to communicate with a device, such as device 100. [ If bi-directional communication is not used, a basic alert signal may be received at operation 508. [ The alert module 224 operating on the processor 202 may be configured to receive from the device 100 via the receiver 216 a message indicating that a child or infant is bound to the device 100 and the device 100 is attached to the vehicle And can receive a basic alarm signal to indicate that the alarm signal has been received. Similarly, alert module 344, which is activated by processor 302, may receive a basic alert signal from device 100 via receiver 338. [ At block 510, the speaker 214, the LED 214, the infotainment system 310, the indoor temperature system 318, the dashboard indicator 322 based at least in part on the received basic alert signal and / An output device such as a speaker 324, door locks 326, internal lights 328, external lights 330, or other output 332 may be activated. For example, the vehicle warning device 200 activates the standard level output when the vibration sensor 208 indicates that the vehicle is running, and the vibration sensor 208 detects that the vehicle has stopped running some time before, such as 1 minute It is possible to activate the elevated level output to provide the device 100 with the inactivity time by, for example, transferring the child from the car seat to the caregiver. In other embodiments, the elevated level may be initiated after a different period of time or shortly after the vehicle is detected as having stopped driving and indicated by the base alert signal that the child or infant is still constrained to the vehicle. Alerting module 344 may also determine, for example, that the emergency service provider should be notified using wide area transceiver 342 and sending a message. For warning devices that are incapable of determining vehicle conditions, the output device may not be activated based at least in part on the vehicle condition. Process 500 may then return to act 502.

At decision block 506, if it is determined that two-way communication is being used, then at operation 512, a vehicle condition indicator may be transmitted based at least in part on the vehicle condition determined in operation 504. [ An alert signal may be received from a constraint device, such as device 100, The alert signal may include informational content indicating in various embodiments that an elevated alert condition is warranted. Alert module 224 or 344 may activate one or more output devices at operation 516 based at least in part on the alert signal. In some embodiments, for vehicles that support such control, the alert signal may activate the one or more output devices more directly using, for example, gateway 346. In a similar manner, in some embodiments, the information from the sensors 316 may be sent to the device 100 via the gateway 346 by receiving a request from the device 100 for the vehicles that support these requests. Can be provided directly. Process 500 may then return to act 502. In embodiments, the alert module 134 of the device 100 may allow different communication protocols through the gateway 346 and allow the caregiver to use the vehicle type (e.g., < RTI ID = 0.0 > For example, a manufacturer, a model name, a year). In embodiments, the alert module 134 may include an automatic vehicle type selection module that can automatically select an appropriate vehicle type based at least in part upon an attempt to establish a wireless connection with the vehicle.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an exemplary computer 600 suitable for carrying out the present disclosure as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3 in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, the computer 600 may include one or more processors or processor cores 602, and a system memory 604. For purposes of this application, including the claims, the terms "processor" and "processor core" may be considered synonymous unless the context clearly requires otherwise. The computer 600 may also include one or more graphics processors 605, mass storage devices 606 (e.g., diskettes, hard drives, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) (E.g., a display, a keyboard, a cursor control, a remote control, a game controller, an image capture device, etc.), a sensor hub 609 and a communication interface 610 A wireless receiver (e. G., Bluetooth), etc.). The elements may be coupled together via a system bus 612, which may represent one or more buses. In the case of multiple buses, they may be bridged by one or more bus bridges (not shown).

Each of these elements can perform conventional functions known in the art. In particular, system memory 604 and mass storage devices 606 may be coupled to device 100, vehicle alert device 200, vehicle control system 300, or personal communication Operations described with respect to devices, e.g., modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in Figures 1-3, processes 400 or Figure 4, The operations shown in the process 500 of FIG. 5, or of the programming instructions that implement the operations associated with the alerts received by the personal communication device (such as functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode) Can be used to store a permanent copy and a working copy. The system memory 604 and mass storage devices 606 may also include a persistent copy of the programming instructions that implement operations related to the OS 100 running on the device 100, the automotive alert device 200 or the vehicle control system 300, It can be used to store copies. The system memory 604 and mass storage devices 606 may also be used to store data or local resources in various embodiments. The various elements may be implemented by assembler instructions supported by processor (s) 602 or by higher-level languages such as C, for example, which may be compiled with such instructions.

A permanent copy of the programming instructions may be provided at a factory or in the field via a communication interface 610 (e.g., from a distribution server (not shown)) or via a distribution medium (not shown) such as a compact disk May be located within storage devices 606. That is, one or more distribution media having an implementation of an agent program for distributing agents and programming various computing devices may be used.

The number, capabilities, and / or capacity of these elements 608-612 may vary depending on whether the computer 600 is a stand-alone computing device such as a set-top box or a desktop computer, a mobile computing device such as a tablet computing device, Built-in computing device. Their configuration is otherwise known, and thus will not be described further. In various embodiments, different elements or a subset of the elements shown in Fig. 6 may be used. For example, some devices may not include the graphics processor 605, use an integrated memory that serves both memory and storage, or may combine sensors without using a sensor hub.

FIG. 7 illustrates, in accordance with various embodiments, all of the operations associated with device 100, vehicle alert device 200, or vehicle control system 300 described above, or instructions configured to execute selected ones of the operations At least one non-volatile computer-readable storage medium 702 having at least one non-volatile memory. As shown, the at least one non-volatile computer-readable storage medium 702 may include a plurality of programming instructions 704. Storage medium 702 may represent a wide variety of permanent storage media known in the art including, but not limited to, flash memory, dynamic random access memory, static random access memory, optical disks, and the like. Programming instructions 704 may be generated by a device, e.g., a computer 600, a device 100, a warning device 200 for a vehicle, a vehicle control system 300, or personal communication devices, in response to the execution of programming instructions, The process 400 of FIG. 4, or the process 500 of FIG. 5, for the modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in FIGS. 1-3 Operations, or operations associated with alerts received by the personal communication device (e.g., functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode). In alternative embodiments, programming instructions 704 may be placed on a plurality of computer readable storage media 702. [ In alternate embodiments, the storage medium 702 may be transient, such as, for example, signals encoded with programming instructions 704.

Referring again to Figure 6, in one embodiment, at least one of the processors 602 includes a mode described for the modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in Figures 1-3 Operations associated with the alerts received by the personal communication device (e. G., The functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode), the operations of the process 400 of Figure 4 or the process 500 of Figure 5, (Such as < / RTI > < RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI > In one embodiment, at least one of the processors 602 includes aspects described for modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in Figures 1-3, (E.g., such as the functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode) associated with the operations of the process 500 of FIG. 5 or the alerts received by the personal communication device May be packaged with a memory having computation logic 622 to form a System in Package (SiP). In one embodiment, at least one of the processors 602 includes aspects described for modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in Figures 1-3, (E.g., such as the functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode) associated with the operations of the process 500 of FIG. 5 or the alerts received by the personal communication device May be integrated on the same die with the memory having the calculation logic 622. [ In one embodiment, at least one of the processors 602 includes aspects described for modules 134, 136, 224, 226, 344, and 348 shown in Figures 1-3, (E.g., such as the functionality described in connection with the auto-stream-mode) associated with the operations of the process 500 of FIG. 5 or the alerts received by the personal communication device May be packaged with a memory having computation logic 622 to form a System on Chip (SoC). In at least one embodiment, the SoC may be used in a mobile computing device, such as, but not limited to, a wearable device and / or a smart phone, for example.

Machine-readable media, methods, systems and devices (including non-volatile machine-readable media, such as machine-readable media) for performing the techniques described above may be implemented as an example of the embodiments disclosed herein admit. Further, other devices in the above-described interactions can be configured to perform various disclosed techniques.

Examples

Example 1 may include a constraint device with an alert, which may include: one or more processors; A wireless transmitter coupled with the one or more processors; Restraint; Fixed component; A first sensor coupled with the restraining mechanism and the one or more processors to provide a restraining indicator based at least in part on whether the restraining mechanism is in a restraining position; A second sensor coupled with the stationary component and the one or more processors to provide an attachment indicator based at least in part on whether the stationary component is engaged to couple the device to the vehicle; And an alert module activated by the one or more processors to cause the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit an alert signal based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator.

Example 2 may include the contents of Example 1, wherein the alert module indicates that the constraint indicator indicates that the containment mechanism is in a constrained position and the attachment indicator indicates that the anchor component is engaged to engage the device in the vehicle And the alarm module is operable to cause the alarm module to detect that the restraint indicator indicates that the restraint mechanism is not in the restraining position or that the attaching indicator instructs the securing component to couple the device to the vehicle Is not engaged, and stops the wireless transmission of the alarm signal if it is at least one of indicating that it is not engaged.

Example 3 may include the contents of any one of Examples 1 to 2, further comprising a manual activation component, wherein the alert module is configured to cause the radio transmitter to transmit, based at least in part on activation status of the manual activation component Causing the alarm signal to be transmitted wirelessly.

Example 4 further comprises a radio receiver coupled with the one or more processors, the alarm module comprising: a radio receiver coupled to the radio receiver for indicating a vehicle condition of the vehicle, And cause the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit an alarm signal indicating at least partly based on the signal received by the wireless transmitter.

Example 5 may include the contents of any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the alert module establishes an ad hoc network link with the personal communication device and causes the wireless transmitter to transmit the personal Causing the communication device to wirelessly transmit the alert signal.

Example 6 may include a computer implemented constraint method with an alert, the method comprising: receiving a constraint indicator at a computing device, the constraint indicator indicating whether the constraint mechanism is to be transmitted -; Receiving an attachment indicator at the computing device, the attachment indicator being transmitted based at least in part on whether the securing component is engaged to engage the securing component and the device having the securing mechanism to the vehicle; And causing the computing device to send or transmit an alert signal based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator.

Example 7 may include the content of Example 6, wherein the causing step is performed by the computing device, the constraint indicator indicating that the restraint mechanism is in a restraining position, Causing the wireless transmitter to transmit an alert signal when indicating to be engaged to engage the wireless transmitter; The method further comprising, by the computing device, the constraint indicator indicating that the constraining mechanism is not in a constrained position, or the attachment indicator indicating that the fixed component is not engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle And causing the wireless transmitter to cease wireless transmission of the alert signal if the wireless transmitter is at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless transmitter.

Example 8 may include the content of any one of Examples 6 to 7, further comprising, by the computing device, determining an activation state of a passive activation component, wherein the causing is caused by the computing device And causing the wireless transmitter to transmit the alert signal based at least in part on the activation state of the passive activation component.

Example 9 may include the content of any one of Examples 6 to 8 further comprising, by the computing device, receiving a vehicle condition indicator indicating the vehicle condition of the vehicle, And causing, by the computing device, the wireless transmitter to transmit an elevated alert signal based at least in part on the vehicle condition indicator.

Example 10 may include the content of any one of Examples 6 to 9, further comprising, by the computing device, establishing an ad hoc network link with the personal communication device, And causing, by the device, the wireless transmitter to transmit the alert signal to the personal communication device via the established ad hoc network link.

Example 11 may comprise at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising stored instructions, which instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by a computing device, cause the computing device to: Receive a transmitted constraint indicator based at least in part on whether the constraint indicator is < RTI ID = 0.0 > Receive an attachment indicator transmitted based at least in part on whether the anchoring component is engaged to couple the anchoring component and the device having the anchoring mechanism to the vehicle; Causing the alert signal to be transmitted or transmitted based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator.

Example 12 may include the content of Example 11, which causes the computing device to determine that the constraint indicator indicates that the constraining mechanism is in a constrained position and the constraint component indicates that the constraining component couples the car seat to the vehicle And causing the wireless transmitter to transmit an alert signal when indicating to be engaged; Wherein the instructions instruct the computing device to cause the constraint indicator to indicate that the restraint mechanism is not in a constrained position, or that the attachment indicator indicates that the fixed component is not engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle To cause the wireless transmitter to cause the wireless transmission of the alert signal to cease.

Example 13 may include the content of any one of Examples 11-12, wherein the computing device is further caused to determine an activation state of a passive activation component, And cause the wireless transmitter to transmit the alert signal based at least in part.

Example 14 may include the content of any one of Examples 11-13, wherein the computing device is further caused to receive a vehicle condition indicator indicating the vehicle condition of the vehicle, the computing device comprising: To cause the wireless transmitter to transmit an elevated alert signal based at least in part on the received signal.

Example 15 may include the content of any one of Examples 11-14, wherein the computing device is further caused to establish an ad hoc network link with the personal communication device, the computing device causing the wireless transmitter to establish To cause the personal communication device to transmit the alert signal via an ad hoc network link.

Example 16 may include a warning device for a vehicle, comprising: one or more processors; A wireless receiver coupled with the one or more processors; Output device; And a warning module, activated by the one or more processors, activated by the one or more processors to activate the output device based at least in part on a wireless alert signal indicating that the child car seat is in use, .

Example 17 further comprises a vibration sensor coupled to the one or more processors and the warning module may include the contents of embodiment 16, wherein the warning module is based on the wireless alarm signal and the signal from the vibration sensor, based at least in part And activates the output device.

Example 18 may include the contents of any one of Examples 16 to 17, wherein the device is a portable device that may be selectively located in the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

Example 19 further comprises one or more vehicle sensors coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the warning module may comprise any one or more of the one or more vehicle sensors Determining a vehicle condition based at least in part on the data and activating the output device with an elevated alarm signal based at least in part on the vehicle condition.

Example 20 may include the content of any one of Examples 16 to 19, wherein the output device is a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, a vehicle door locking mechanism, or a vehicle dashboard indicator At least one of them.

Example 21 may comprise a computer-implemented constraint method with an alarm, the method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, an alarm signal indicating that the constraint device is in use from a constraint device in the vehicle; And activating, by the computing device, an alert output based at least in part on the alert signal.

Example 22 may include the content of Example 21, and by the computing device, transmitting a vehicle status signal to the constraining device; Receiving, by the computing device, an elevated alert signal from the constraining device; And activating, by the computing device, an elevated alert output based at least in part on the elevated alert signal.

Example 23 may include the content of any one of Examples 21-22, further comprising, by the computing device, activating an elevated alert output based at least in part on the vehicle condition.

Example 24 may include the content of Example 23, and wherein activating the raised alert output comprises transmitting an emergency signal including location information to the emergency service provider.

Example 25 may include the content of any one of Examples 21 to 24, wherein the act of activating the alert output may comprise at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, A door locking mechanism, or a vehicle dashboard indicator.

Example 26 may comprise at least one non-transitory computer readable medium containing stored instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructions by a computing device, cause the computing device to: Receive an alert signal indicating that the constraint device is in use; And causes the alert output to be activated based at least in part on the alert signal.

Example 27 may include the content of Example 26, wherein the computing device is configured to: transmit a vehicle status signal to the constraining device; Receive an alarm signal raised from the constraining device; And is further caused to activate an alarm output raised based at least in part on the raised alarm signal.

Example 28 may include the content of any one of Examples 26-27, wherein the computing device is further caused to: activate the raised warning output based at least in part on the vehicle condition.

Example 29 may include the contents of Example 28, and activating the raised alert output may include sending an emergency signal including location information to the emergency service provider.

Example 30 may include the contents of any one of Examples 26 to 29, wherein activating the alert output may comprise a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, a vehicle door locking mechanism, And activating at least one of the board indicators.

Example 31 may comprise a constraint device with an alarm, the device comprising: means for receiving a constraint indicator, the constraint indicator being transmitted based at least in part on whether the constraint mechanism is in a constrained position; Means for receiving an attachment indicator, the attachment indicator being transmitted based at least in part on whether the securing component is engaged to engage the securing component and the device having the securing mechanism to the vehicle; And means for sending or transmitting an alert signal based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator.

Example 32 may include the contents of Example 31, which causes the constraint indicator to indicate that the restraint mechanism is in the restraining position and the attachment indicator instructs that the securing component is engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle And causing the wireless transmitter to transmit an alert signal; The restraint device may be configured such that the restraint indicator indicates that the restraint mechanism is not in the restraining position or that the attaching indicator indicates that the securing component is not engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle Further comprising means for causing the wireless transmitter to cease wireless transmission of the alert signal.

Example 33 may include the content of any one of Examples 31 to 32, further comprising means for determining an activation state of a passive activation component, said means for initiating activation of the passive activation component comprises at least And means for causing the wireless transmitter to transmit the alert signal based, in part, on it.

Example 34 further comprises means for receiving a vehicle condition indicator indicating the vehicle condition of the vehicle, which may include the contents of any of Examples 31 to 33, wherein the means for causing the vehicle condition indicator And means for causing the wireless transmitter to transmit an elevated alert signal based at least in part.

Example 35 may include the content of any one of Examples 31 to 34, further comprising means for establishing an ad hoc network link with a personal communication device, said means for causing the wireless transmitter to transmit the set ad And sending the alert signal to the personal communication device via a network link.

Example 36 may comprise a warning device for a vehicle, comprising: means for receiving an alarm signal from the confinement device in the vehicle indicating that the confinement device is in use; And means for activating an alert output based at least in part on the alert signal.

Example 37 may include the content of Example 36 and comprises means for transmitting a vehicle status signal to the restraint device; Means for receiving an alarm signal raised from the restraint device; And means for activating an alarm output raised based at least in part on the raised alarm signal.

Example 38 may include the content of any one of Examples 36 to 37, further comprising means for activating an alarm output raised based at least in part on the vehicle condition.

Example 39 may include the content of Example 38, and the means for activating the raised warning output comprises means for sending an emergency signal including location information to the emergency service provider.

Example 40 may include the content of any one of Examples 36 to 39 wherein the means for activating the alert output may comprise a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, a vehicle door locking mechanism, And means for activating at least one of the vehicle dashboard indicators.

Example 41 may include the contents of any one of Examples 26 to 30, further comprising stored instructions, wherein the instructions cause the other computing device, in response to execution of the instructions by another computing device, : Receiving a transmitted constraint indicator based at least in part on whether the constraining mechanism is in a constrained position; Receive an attachment indicator transmitted based at least in part on whether the anchoring component is engaged to couple the anchoring component and the device having the anchoring mechanism to the vehicle; Causing the alert signal to be transmitted or transmitted based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator.

Example 42 may include the contents of Example 41, which causes the other computing device to determine that the constraint indicator indicates that the constraining mechanism is in a constrained position, And causing the wireless transmitter to transmit an alert signal when indicating to be engaged to engage the wireless transmitter; The instructions instructing the other computing device to determine whether the restraint indicator indicates that the restraint mechanism is not in a restraining position or that the attaching indicator indicates that the restraining component is not engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle Further causing the wireless transmitter to cause the wireless transmission of the alert signal to cease.

Example 43 may include the content of any one of Examples 41 to 42 wherein the other computing device is further caused to determine an activation state of a passive activation component, To cause the wireless transmitter to transmit the alert signal based at least in part on the condition.

Example 44 may include the contents of any one of Examples 41 to 43 wherein the other computing device is further caused to receive a vehicle status indicator indicating the vehicle status of the vehicle, And cause the wireless transmitter to transmit an elevated alert signal based at least in part on the status indicator.

Example 45 may include the content of any one of Examples 41 to 44, wherein the other computing device is further caused to establish an ad hoc network link with the personal communication device, the other computing device causing the wireless transmitter And send the alert signal to the personal communication device via the established ad hoc network link.

While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for the purpose of description, it is to be understood that many other alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations have been shown and described which are calculated to achieve the same objectives, It is possible to replace the embodiments. This application is intended to cover any modifications or variations of the embodiments described herein. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that the embodiments described herein are limited only by the claims.

Where the present disclosure refers to a " a "or" a first "element or its equivalents, the disclosure includes one or more of these elements and neither requires nor excludes two or more such elements . In addition, ordinal indicators (e.g., first, second, or third) for the identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements and do not represent or imply any of the required or limited number of such elements Quot; does not denote a particular position or order of such elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Claims (22)

A restraint device having an alert,
One or more processors;
A wireless transmitter coupled with the one or more processors;
Restraint;
Fixed component;
A first sensor coupled with the restraining mechanism and the one or more processors to provide a restraining indicator based at least in part on whether the restraining mechanism is in a restraining position;
A second sensor coupled to the stationary component and the at least one processor to provide an attachment indicator based at least in part on whether the stationary component is engaged to couple the device to a vehicle; And
An alarm module activated by said one or more processors to cause said radio transmitter to wirelessly transmit an alert signal based at least in part on said constraint indicator and said attachment indicator,
. ≪ / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the alert module is operative to wirelessly transmit the alert signal when the constraint indicator indicates that the containment mechanism is in a constrained position and the attachment indicator indicates that the fixed component is engaged to engage the device in the vehicle, Wherein the alarm module is configured to determine whether the restraint indicator indicates that the restraint mechanism is not in the restraining position or that the attaching indicator indicates that the securing component is not engaged to engage the device in the vehicle. And is operative to interrupt the wireless transmission of the alert signal. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a manual activation component that causes the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit an alert signal based at least in part on an activation state of the passive activation component. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a wireless receiver coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the alert module is configured to cause the wireless transmitter to incrementally increment based on, at least in part, the signal received by the wireless receiver indicating the vehicle status of the vehicle and causes an alarm signal to indicate an escalated alarm condition to be transmitted wirelessly. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The alert module establishes an ad-hoc network link with the personal communication device and causes the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit the alert signal to the personal communication device via the established ad hoc network link The restraint device. A computer-implemented constraint method having an alert,
Receiving a constraint indicator at a computing device, the constraint indicator being transmitted based at least in part on whether the constraint mechanism is in a constrained position;
Receiving an attachment indicator at the computing device, the attachment indicator being transmitted based at least in part on whether the securing component is engaged to engage the securing component and the device having the securing mechanism to the vehicle; And
Causing, by the computing device, to send or transmit an alert signal based at least in part on the constraint indicator and the attachment indicator
/ RTI > The method according to claim 6,
Causing the computing device to cause the wireless transmitter to cause the computing device to determine that the constraint indicator is in a constrained position and the attachment indicator indicates that the fixed component is engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle, Causing a signal to be transmitted; The method further comprising, by the computing device, the constraint indicator indicating that the constraining mechanism is not in a constrained position, or the attachment indicator indicating that the fixed component is not engaged to engage the car seat with the vehicle Further comprising causing the wireless transmitter to cease wireless transmission of the alert signal if the wireless transmitter is at least one of the wireless transmitter and the wireless transmitter. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising determining, by the computing device, an activation state of a passive activation component, causing the computing device to cause the wireless transmitter to, based at least in part on the activation state of the passive activation component, And causing the alarm signal to be transmitted. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising receiving, by the computing device, a vehicle condition indicator that indicates a vehicle condition of the vehicle, wherein the causing is caused by the computing device to: determine, by the computing device, Thereby causing an elevated alarm signal to be transmitted. The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising, by the computing device, establishing an ad hoc network link with the personal communication device, wherein causing the wireless transmitter to cause the wireless transmitter to communicate, via the set ad hoc network link, And causing the device to transmit the alert signal. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium containing stored instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of any of claims 6 to 10 At least one non-volatile computer readable medium. A vehicular warning apparatus comprising:
One or more processors;
A wireless receiver coupled with the one or more processors;
Output device; And
A warning module activated by the one or more processors to activate the output device based at least in part on a wireless alert signal indicating that the child car seat is in use,
And a warning device. 13. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising a vibration sensor coupled with the one or more processors, the warning module activating the output device based at least in part on the wireless alarm signal and the signal from the vibration sensor. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the device is a portable device that is selectively locatable in a first vehicle or a second vehicle. 15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14,
Wherein the warning module is further configured to determine a vehicle condition based at least in part on data from at least one of the one or more vehicle sensors and to determine at least in part And activates said output device with an elevated alarm signal based on said alarm signal. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the output device comprises at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, a vehicle door locking mechanism, or a vehicle dashboard indicator. A computer-implemented constraint method having an alert,
Receiving, by the computing device, an alarm signal indicating that the constraining device is in use from a constraining device in the vehicle; And
Activating, by the computing device, an alert output based at least in part on the alert signal
/ RTI > 18. The method of claim 17,
Transmitting, by the computing device, a vehicle status signal to the restraint device;
Receiving, by the computing device, an elevated alert signal from the constraining device; And
Further comprising, by the computing device, activating an elevated alert output based at least in part on the elevated alert signal. 18. The method of claim 17,
Further comprising, by the computing device, activating an elevated alert output based at least in part on the vehicle condition. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein activating the elevated alert output comprises transmitting an emergency signal including location information to the emergency service provider. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein activating the alert output by the computing device comprises activating at least one of a vehicle horn, a vehicle infotainment system, a vehicle interior temperature control system, a vehicle light, a vehicle door locking mechanism, or a vehicle dashboard indicator , Restraint method. Wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform the method of any one of claims 17 to 21 in response to execution of the instructions by a computing device. At least one non-volatile computer readable medium.

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